JoLLE Special Issue

perspective would limit readers’ interpretive repertoire and forego relevant perspectives for making sense of images and multimodal texts.

Doonan (1993), referring to exemplifying symbols and the process of symbolization states, “Meanings do not come attached as they do to symbols that denote. You have to select your meaning from a variety of possibilities and apply those which best suit the image[s] and the context” (p. 15). Students attended to a variety of visual images presented in the selected picturebooks, and through their discussions constructed deeper understandings of the meaning potentials in these elements. Since symbolic connections provide no essential or single objectivist meaning (Sturken & Cartwright, 2001), students were invited throughout the discussions to consider the meaning potentials of various textual and visual elements and to construct viable interpretations in response to these connections. Kress and van Leeuwen (1996) assert that signs are motivated and are selected for particular purposes. As students attended to the symbolic nature of the visual images and historical symbols embedded in the peritext, they considered possible meaning potentials from the literal details and constructed multiple interpretations.

Providing time for students to revisit these historical fiction picturebooks across the unit of study allowed students to construct more complex responses during subsequent readings of particular picturebooks. Initial discussions focused on literal details using the perceptual perspective, which laid the foundation for more inferential responses. As students revisited these picturebooks, they were able to move beyond the literal details to consider the connotative or symbolic aspects of visual design elements and images. The teacher and researcher supported students’ interpretations as they asked them to consider what the visual design elements might signify and what connections were made among these elements and the textual narrative. Considering all aspects of these picturebooks deepened students’ responses and interpretations.

Understandings are enhanced through participation in literary discussions, and students benefit from this participation (Nystrand, 1997). Not only did students benefit from their participation in these discussions, but the researchers benefited from their participation, as students helped us to see these complex books from new perspectives. Allowing students the freedom to explore the visual and textual elements was important, but it was just as important to remain open to the meaning potentials offered by students, avoiding too much control of the topics discussed to allow a variety of interpretations to be realized.